Infrared gas burner...too hot!

[bamboozled]

I ended up buying an infrared gas burner a while back and have never been satisfied with it...it gets too hot! It is an Otto model. When you turn it on it forms a glowing circle of heat in two radii, large and small. The large is so hot it burns everything but water and stir fry. The small circle is also super hot...just a smaller size. It makes cooking on it very difficult. Impossible to simmer anything. I feel like I might be missing something about it's usage. Perhaps my gas valve is not adjusted properly or...?

Anybody have luck with these thing?

[INDI12]

same prob here... but what i did was go to where they sell the cheap red clay thai bbq/pit / bucket... in the bottom there is a clay fired circle with holes in it about an inch thick..prob 10-11 inches (20 cm) round. i use it to space up from the heat and it helps to not burn everything and can simmer with it... works for me.

there was a place next to ruamchok /rimping market that had them. small small thai shop. not sure its there anymore . but these things are very common here. those shops usually have just the circle/ring u want. and not the whole bbq thingy.

[MrBrad]

same prob here... but what i did was go to where they sell the cheap red clay thai bbq/pit / bucket... in the bottom there is a clay fired circle with holes in it about an inch thick..prob 10-11 inches (20 cm) round. i use it to space up from the heat and it helps to not burn everything and can simmer with it... works for me.

there was a place next to ruamchok /rimping market that had them. small small thai shop. not sure its there anymore . but these things are very common here. those shops usually have just the circle/ring u want. and not the whole bbq thingy.

Might you be able to post a photo if the clay disk? I don't recall seeing anything like that, but I need one too. Thanks.

Good topic, by the way; very helpful.

[FolkGuitar]

Little shop on the right hand side of Chiang Puak Road, just as you turn in from the moat sells them too.

I don't have a picture, but imagine if you will a 6" or 8" circular disk, about 1/2" thick with 20-30 1/8" holes spaced over its surface so the heat can pass through.

[bushman1666]

Same same. I use the wire rack out of our Otto flying saucer oven to lift pans a few cm above the fierce heat.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ThaidDown]

Do you have adjuster discs behind the control knobs, if so you can turn these to change the amount of air being sucked in and hence the fierceness of the flame..

Also the pressure from the main tank may be too high. (or too low !!) Have only used the 'trial and error' method myself.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So.. how about sourcing a stove that is, you know, less Third World?

Also if stuff burns easily then chances are your pans are also of the super thin, tinny Third World kind. Get something heavy that wilil distribute heat.

[INDI12]

Tried to attach photo won't do it...

Oh well ...

[bamboozled]

My pans def leave much to be desired, this is true. As far as third-world stoves (burners, really), this is actually supposed to be a step up from just the plain burner, which is of course a flame from gas much as the flame on a sub-zero. Well, more or less. Anyhow, what is the point of these infrared burners? Ya, it's hotter and......? If one has to put all these added gizmos/spacers/etc...what am I gaining over a regular burner?

I'm thinking a spacer would be better than the clay swiss cheese ring. Doesn't that block too much heat?

[INDI12]

the ones i use have about 25 3/4 (2cm) inch holes. plenty of openings. i would think the circle spreads the heat out after if gets hot.

i wouldnt buy an infrared again unless i was only cooking with wok.

[FolkGuitar]

There is no doubt that better pans help solve the problem. When I bought my induction cookers, they came with large pans of very flimsy steel. Unless I was boiling water in them, they would burn everything I tried to cook no matter what settings I used. Once I bought some better pots and pans with thicker bases, all the problems simply stopped. The thicker the bottom, but better the heat distribution around the pan.

[bamboozled]

I also would not buy an infrared again. Of course, in my case, we're talking about only 400 baht or something like that so it's not really a big deal. It's just been an unsolved mystery.

It does bring my crappy pans to the forefront. Looks like some shopping is in order, either for better pans, a new "regular guy" burner, or probably both.

I'll get the clay swiss cheese ring, too!

[CMKiwi]

For those with these infrared gas fired stoves, if you wish to get rid of them (sell)... maybe advertise them as a heater! I know a lot of TV members have been on the hunt for a source of heating for the cold nights (And mornings).

By the sound of it these would work a treat

[MrBrad]

As FolkGuitar says, the corner shop at the beginning of Chang Peuak Road (NE corner of the T intersection by the moat) has these diffusers. Yesterday I bought the smaller size (18 cm), but they had larger ones also. And, as for effectiveness, it did take a bit more time for the diffuser to heat up and then transfer the heat to the pan, but it provided a much more even heat, and stayed hot for quite a while after the gas was turned off. I didn't use it for simmering, but I'm thinking that it will provide a perfect low temperature when needed.

Two of these disks were 50 baht total, even though each had a 40 baht pricetag. Your mileage may vary.

[INDI12]

yeah thats the one i have.... i like to make spaghetti sauce and soup/ stews.. and it gives a nice low simmer temp using it..

hope it works for u all too...